Wednesday, February 1, 2017

This is the alchemy of roasting vegetables, and it will change the way you think about eating them. Roasting enhances the vegetable’s flavor and allows the natural sugars to caramelize, bringing out a slight sweetness.

It’s the same with broccoli, cauliflower and beets, which I slice thin and turn into beet chips. They’re all vegetables my kids would pick at when steamed, but they’re devoured after a little time in a hot oven.

According to the August 2016 article, roasting vegetables does change the nutritional profile and diminish some nutrients, but it can make others easier to absorb. To avoid creating deficiencies, it’s always better to vary how you prepare your vegetables, rotating raw, roasted, steamed and sautéed fare. But if it’s a choice between no vegetables and roasted vegetables, the latter is clearly superior.

Roasting Tips

If you’re ready to try roasting vegetables, here are few pointers to keep in mind:

Cut the vegetables into pieces that are the same size. If your broccoli florets are wildly different sizes, they will cook at different rates, and you’ll end up with some burned, some undercooked. You don’t have to get out a ruler, but aim for pieces of similar size when prepping your veggies.

Line your baking sheet. This is something I don’t often remember to do because I’m usually in a rush, but sometimes the process of caramelizing leads to a burned pan. You can line with foil, parchment paper or a reusable silicone baking mat that rests inside the baking sheet.

Give the veggies some room. When the vegetables are overcrowded, they will steam and become soggy instead of caramelized and deliciously crispy. Give the vegetables plenty of space: They shouldn’t touch each other.

Flip or stir halfway through. Roasting vegetables is not like roasting meat. You need to flip them over halfway through the roasting time to make sure each side gets well roasted.

Kale Chips

Ingredients (Serves 2-4)

2 bunches kale

1-2 tbsp. olive oil

Salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. (If I’m in a hurry I don’t line the baking sheets. It’s not essential.)

Remove the kale leaves from the stems. An easy trick for doing this is to hold the end of the stem with one hand and place the pointer and thumb of your other hand on the stem, just above the leaves. Slide your fingers along the stem, tearing the kale leaves off as you go.

Wash and thoroughly dry the kale leaves. The drier, the better, because wet leaves will lead to soggy kale chips. (I get my kale from a nearby organic farm, so I skip washing it.)

Tear the leaves into larger-than-bite-sized pieces (they will shrink quite a bit in the oven) and place in a large bowl. Add 1 tbsp. of olive oil and toss with your hands. The kale should be lightly coated with oil. If the leaves seem dry, add another tablespoon of oil.

Spread the kale evenly onto the two baking sheets and sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, tossing the kale once halfway through and switching the position of the baking sheets. Once the kale chips have been in for 10 minutes, check frequently so they don’t get burned.

Let the kale cool, add salt to taste, and try to eat some before everyone else gets to it.